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Saturday, 31 August 2013

Review ~ Mistress of the Sea by Jenny Barden

Random House Uk
Ebury press
20 June 2013

Mistress of the Sea is set in
1570 against the background of Elizabethan England when glorious sea voyages
led to the allure of prosperity, and the magnetism of inscrutable sea captains
gave the illusion that foreign wealth was there for the taking. Abandoning her
mother, two enthusiastic suitors and a wealthy home amongst the merchant class
of the port of Plymouth, Ellyn Cooksley stows away on board Drake’s ship bound
for Panama. But also on board Drake’s ship, The Swan, is Ellyn’s sickly father
and Ellyn’s erstwhile admirer, Will Doonan, whose primary reason for the voyage
is to avenge the fate of his lost brother Kit. However, Will is horrified when
the stowaway is revealed and this knowledge will put his loyalty to the test,
not just to Ellyn and her father, but also to his sea captain.

Taking as her inspiration, Sir
Francis Drake’s firstgreat endeavour, the attack on the Spanish
'Silver Train' inPanama, the author has weaved together a
story which abounds with nautical intrigue, and with meticulous care and
research has produced a realistic historical adventure, complete with
rollicking high seas, the lure of Spanish bounty and a frisson of romance.

Nicely written and with an
obvious fine eye for historical accuracy, this is a commendable debut novel and
the launch of a new talent in historical fiction.